Public Policy Federal Initiatives | Federal Initiatives |
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Some of the Federal Initiatives Include:
The U.S. Military Child Care Act is an ongoing system-wide program that links training to increased compensation in Military Child Care centers. This program is implemented in every branch of the military and provides entry-level staff with increased compensation after completing required training and demonstrating developmentally appropriate practices. Staff with CDA credentials or associate or bachelor degrees, can also increase their compensation by taking advanced training. In addition, all workers receive a full range of benefits. Military Child Care Centers have been able to dramatically reduce staff turnover because of the investment made in their workforce. For more information about the U.S. Military Child Care Act:
Since 1965, the Head Start program has been successful in providing low-income children (birth-5) and their families with health, educational, nutritional and social services. Head Start, the largest federal investment in early childhood education has implemented salary enhancements and expanded training provisions for all employees. During the 1994 reauthorization of Head Start, Congress established the Early Head Start (EHS) program to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, enhance the development of very young children, and promote healthy family functioning. Currently, EHS has reached 708 community-based programs and serves 61,500 children. The 1998 reauthorization of Head Start (which included EHS) increased the appropriation of quality improvement funds and places the highest priority of allowable uses of those funds on staff compensation training. For more information visit: U.S. DOL Apprenticeship Program The U.S. Department of Labor Child Care Development Specialist Apprenticeship Program is an initiative coordinated through the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training to increase training and educational opportunities for center-based child care workers. One of the primary goals of the program is to increase participants' compensation. The program, currently operating in thirty-one states, allows the program structure, procedures and requirements to be determined by each state. The Bureau is currently planning to expand the initiative nationwide. The FOCUS Act (Focus on Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children's Sake Act) The FOCUS Act, sponsored by Senator Dodd (D-Conn.) in the Senate and Representatives Miller (D-Calif.), Gilman (R-NY), Sanders (I-Verm.) and Kildee (D-Mich.) in the House, established the Child Care Provider Retention and Development Grant Program and the Child Care Provider Scholarship Grant Program. The FOCUS Act provided $5 billion over five years to the states for the purpose of attracting and retaining qualified child care providers. Participation in the program is open to full-time and part-time staff working with children in licensed child care centers, Head Start, family child care homes and school-age programs.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. For more information visit:
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